Nickel anode



Patented May 6, I930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE E. HOGABOOM, E MATAWAN, NEW JERSEY, nssrenon 'ro Hanson-van WINKLE-MUNNING commnr, or MATAWAN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY NICKEL AN ODE No Drawing.

This invention relates to nickel anodes for use in solutions for the electrodeposition of nickel.

Such anodes, as ordinarily manufactured, frequently show a passivity and poor corrosion in electroplating solutions, or they may corrode unevenly and set free small particles of undissolved substances which represent a loss in operating efiicienc'y, or may even be carried over to the work and form irregular rough spots in the deposit.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a nickel anode which will show less passivity and better corroding qualities, assuring good operating efiiciency and a uniform, satisfactory deposit. I prefer to avoid the presence of carbon in the anode, since I attribute to this element much of the irregular corrosion and uneven deposition which is so frequently experienced in the use of nickel anodes containing carbon.

'In order to confer on the anode those desirable qualities to which I have above referred, I incorporate with the nickel a small quantity of manganese and a small quantity of silicon. The nickel preferably represents about 98% or 99%+ of the total, with most of the remaining one or two percent made up of the manganese and silicon. Small amounts of the usual impurities, such as. cobalt, copper, iron and sulphur, may be present Without particular harm, as well as a small amount of oxygen which is practically unavoidable if carbon is .to be entirely excluded.

A typical example of a carbon-free nickel anode Within the principles of the invention will-have substantially the following composition:

Per cent Nickel 98. 99.. Manganese .l- 1.9 Silicon .1- 1.9

The anode composition may be produced, for example, by introducing into a fused charge of carbon-free, electrolytic nickel, sufed. The manganese and silicon are advanv Application flled lebruary 28, 1929. Serial No. 343,543.

tageously introduced as ferro manganese and ferro silicon, of high manganese and silicon content, in accordance with well-known metallurgical principles. Oxides of one "or more of the constituents of the composition may be employed to keep the composition substantially free of carbon.

The material prepared as above set forth, or-by any desired metallurgical or other process, may be cast, forged or rolled into the required shape to adapt it for use as an anode in the electrodeposition of nickel.

I claim 1. A substantially carbon-free nickel anode comprising substantially 98% to 99% nickel, and substantially 1% to 2% of manganese and silicon.

2. 'A-substantially carbon-free nickel anode comprising substantially 98% to 99% nickel, at least one tenth of 1% manganese, and at least one tenth percent silicon.

3. A substantially carbon-free nickel anode comprising substantially 98% to 99%!- nickel, from one tenth of one percent to one and nine tenths percent maganese, and from 75 one tenth of one percent to one and nine tenths percent silicon.

- GEORGE B. HOGABOOM. 

